


Sacrifices We Aren't Prepared To Make

by ScarletYeager



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Season 4 Spoilers, klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 13:44:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14791608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletYeager/pseuds/ScarletYeager
Summary: When Lance blows up at Keith it's not for the reason he's expecting.





	Sacrifices We Aren't Prepared To Make

**Author's Note:**

> Hi beautiful people! This is my first time posting for these two so I hope hope hope that they aren't too OOC. Some spoilers for the end of season 4 so if you haven't watched that then be warned otherwise I hope you enjoy it!

Lance was furious. He was barely listening to what Shiro was saying, his mind going a thousand miles a minute. He could practically feel his blood boiling as it rushed through his veins and his fists were continuously clenching and unclenching. 

They had come so close. So close to being destroyed. Naxzela had been on the verge of exploding and taking everything close enough out with it. Lance had been sure it was the end for Voltron, for everyone. Keith and Matt's team had tried everything to destroy the shield around the Galra ships cannon but their weapons just hadn't been enough. Keith had said so himself just before Matt's panicked cry had come through.

His cry of “Keith no!” had struck Lance like a cold bucket of ice, making the blood in his veins freeze. His stomach had dropped, making him feel like he was going to hurl any second and his heart had leapt into his throat, choking off any and all sound he had tried to make. He wasn't sure if the rest of the team had figured it out but Lance had. He wasn't stupid and neither was Keith. It would've been the only option left and as much as Lance would've done the same, the realization had made him both furious and terrified, the two emotions warring for control. 

Keith had been about to fly straight into the shield.

Keith had almost killed himself to save them.

As much as he hated it he was glad Lotor had shown up. Keith had said he had saved them, his canon had been the only thing strong enough to break through the Galra ships shield.

The only thing that had stopped Keith from diving head first into a fiery death.

The sound of the bridge door opening snapped him out of his thoughts and he whirled around to see none other than Matt and the suicidal mullet man himself. They had only taken a few steps when Lance exploded.

“What the actual FUCK Keith!?” He yelled, unable to hold in his anger anymore. Keith stopped in his tracks and seven pairs of eyes snapped to him but Lance only looked at the stormy ones that had widen in surprise.

“Lance..” Shiro started but Lance didn't let him finish.

“The hell were you doing?! We almos-"

“LANCE!” He turned on Shiro his blood boiling.

“WHAT SHIRO!? Are you seriously not going to say anything!?” Shiro glared at him but Lance didn't back down. He felt pain in his palms and realised he had clenched his fists so tight that his nails were biting into the soft flesh, even through his suit.

“You need to go calm down.” Shiro said between clenched teeth, obviously trying to keep calm. 

Lance heard the sound of the door and glancing over his shoulder, he realised that Keith had disappeared. It made his brow twitch in irritation and he took a deep breath to center himself.

“We nearly lost him.” He said it quietly, almost a growl but it echoed eerily in the silence. “He nearly drove himself straight into that shield and fucking kamikazed himself and you're just going to act like nothing happened? Like he didn't just try and sacrifice himself for us? Does he mean nothing to you?” Lance snapped venomously. 

Shiro’s eyes widened, his mouth gaping slightly at Lance's words. He knew it wasn't true, knew Shiro cared for Keith like he was his own brother but he didn't care. Not waiting for an answer, he turned on his heel and ignoring everyone else, he pushed passed Matt and left the room.

He marched down the hallway to his room to take off his armour. His hands were shaking and he fumbled with it a few times before finally succeeding. He changed into his own clothes before sitting on the edge of his bed.

Taking a few deep breaths, holding them for a few seconds before letting them out, he tried to calm himself. He managed to bring his heart rate down but his hands wouldn't stop shaking and he couldn't make his mind stop running.

How could they be so calm? How could they not want to knock some sense into him? He may be with the Blade temporarily but that didn't make him any less important to the team. Keith was family and they had almost lost him.

Feeling the rage start to boil again he got up and, without thinking about it, made his way to Keith's room. 

Without knocking he opened the door, words already making their way up his throat when the sight in front of him made him stop. All the anger he had been feeling evaporated and he took a reflexive step forward, his arm reaching out before he stopped in his tracks.

Keith had changed out of his armour and was sitting on the edge of the bed. His elbows were resting on his knees and his head was buried in his hands, but that wasn't what made Lance pause. 

Keith was sitting in the dark and even from the door Lance could see the trembling of his shoulders. 

Keith Kogane was crying and Lance wasn't sure what to do.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keith heard his door open and took a minute to steady his breathing before speaking. He hated when people saw him crying.

“Get out.” He was glad his voice sounded relatively normal because all he wanted to do right now was be alone. The last thing he needed was for someone to think they needed to stay and comfort him.

He heard footsteps and he felt a flicker of annoyance. Couldn't they just leave him alone? He had fucked up. Voltron had nearly been destroyed because he hadn't been able to take down that particle barrier and now they had Lotor to deal with. He had almost killed himself. He just needed a moment to himself before he went back out there.

“I said get out!” He yelled but it came out slightly muffled due to his position. The footsteps didn't stop until they were right in front of him, there was a soft thud as the person landed on their knees in front of him and then warm hands were gently grasping his hands and pulling them down. 

He resisted at first but then the fight left him and he allowed them to be pulled from his face. He looked up expecting to see Shiro but was met with bright blue eyes that were looking at him with concern. It was dark, the door having closed automatically, the only source of light coming from the luminescent blue strips around his room and bed. The blue illuminated the tan skin of the boy in front of him with an otherworldly glow.

Lance.

He felt the flicker of annoyance return as he remembered what Lance had been saying before he had walked out. Lance had probably come here to jab at him some more. The thought made his chest feel tight but he let anger overtake the hurt and he pulled his hands away roughly. Swiping his arm across his face to try and dry up some of the tears, he let loose.

“What the hell do you want? You don't need to tell me, I know I fucked up ok? I know that if it wasn't for Lotor you would all probably be dead and it would be because I couldn't do the one thing you guys asked of me. I let you down. AGAIN!” He couldn't even look at Lance. Couldn't watch as those eyes looked at him with contempt. He glared at his clasped hands instead. 

“Hate me all you want Lance, blame me all you want but I don't need you to remind me of how many times I've fucked up or how unreliable I am to you guys now because trust me, I already know. I see it every time you look at me.” His voice cracked at the end but he couldn't find it in himself to really care, wishing Lance would just let him be alone.

“You think I'm mad because you didn't destroy that canon?” Lance said quietly. Keith's eyes snapped to Lance and noticed that he wasn't looking at him with contempt like he thought but with an almost comical look of disbelief. His eyes were wide but his brow was furrowed in confusion and Keith didn't quite know how to take that.

“Why else would you go off like that?” Keith was confused, Lance had practically torn into him as soon as he had walked onto the bridge so what else would he be mad about?

“Maybe because you decided to nearly kill yourself? Because you thought sacrificing yourself was a good idea? Becau-" 

“You were in trouble! Voltron was-" 

“THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU GET TO KILL YOURSELF!?” Keith stared at Lance for a moment, an emotion was swimming in Lance's eyes that he couldn't pinpoint. Anger? Yes. Annoyance? That too but there was something beyond that.

“If it takes me sacrificing myself to save Voltron then fine! The universe needs Voltron it doesn't need me!” He was getting frustrated. He didn't really understand why Lance was so mad, if it wasn't because he couldn't destroy the canon then what? Yes he had nearly killed himself and yes it had scared the hell out of him but no one else was this angry.

“We need you!” Lance bit back angrily.

“You have five Paladins, you fly Red now and I'm part of the Blade. You don't need me to form Voltron anymore.”

“I wasn't talking about Voltron Keith.” All the fight left Lance, his anger disappeared and Keith watched in bewilderment as slender tan hands reached out and wrapped around his own.

“I don't hate you...I've never hated you. Do you annoy me? Yes, but I know for a fact that I annoy you too. Yes I insult you, tease you about your mullet, try to one up you all the time and I may have stuck my nose in where it wasn't wanted more than once but that's because you're family Keith. That's what families do, they annoy each other. But at the end of the day we love you don't you get that?” Keith felt the words like a knife in his heart. Family. He hadn't had one since his father had died. He hadn't been told he was loved since… well before that.

He didn't realise the tears had broken free until he heard Lance's soft voice.

“Keith…”

He felt a sharp tug on his hands and he fell forward, both knees landing on either side of Lance's and suddenly he was being pulled into the warmest embrace he had ever felt. He held his arms awkwardly as Lance's wrapped tightly around his waist and the brown haired boy buried his face in Keith's neck. 

“You scared the fuck out of me Keith. Please...please don't ever do that again.” He couldn't stop the onslaught of tears that Lance's words triggered. He let them make their way down his face as the reality of the last few hours crashed down on him. As Lance's warmth spread into him, he realised that Lance hadn't been mad because he failed but because he had been scared of losing him. Because Lance loved him.

The thought sent warmth curling through his chest and down his spine as he returned the embrace, soft and hesitant at first but as his tears came and Lance's grip never faltered he held on just as tightly. He buried his head in Lance's shoulder, taking comfort in the unfamiliar sensation of being safe and let the tears fall. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lance felt the dampness on his shirt but didn't comment on it. He was having a hard time keeping his own face dry so he could hardly say anything. 

He hadn't meant to say as much as he had but the fact that Keith had thought he had FAILED them of all things had made him blurt everything out. 

Well maybe not everything.

He didn't regret any of it though. Not if this was the result. Not if he was allowed to hold Keith like this without fear of having his throat slit or receiving a punch to the face. 

He held the raven as he cried, providing the only comfort he knew how. 

Keith pulled back after what felt like hours but also seconds. His legs were starting to cramp under him but the loss of Keith's warmth hurt more for some reason. 

He let his arms fall as Keith wiped his face with his sleeve but let his hands rest on the ravens thighs, his thumbs rubbing comforting circles into the tight muscles beneath.

“Come on, we both need rest after today.” He tapped Keith's thigh lightly and the other boy took the hint and stood, offering his hand to Lance to help him up. 

Lance looked at the hand and smiled slightly before grasping it and hauling himself to his feet. His knees cracked in protest and he quickly let go of Keith's hand to massage his thighs. 

“Ow remind me not to sit like that next time.” He whined. Keith chuckled quietly.

“Whimp.” Lance punched his shoulder halfheartedly. 

“Asshole.” He mumbled under his breath. He tried to pout but couldn't hold it for long as Keith laughed at him. 

“Alright man, I'm gonna go get me some beauty sleep. You should seriously consider it because it would do wonders for your ugly mug.” Keith glared at him and Lance turned around flipping a smile over his shoulder as he walked towards the door.

“Lance wait.” He stopped halfway out the door and turned around. The light from the open door let him see as a few different emotions quickly crossed Keith's face before settling on a nervous sort of determination.

“Will you stay?” Lance quirked an eyebrow at the request.

“I just don't really..ummm..I..” Lance took pity on him and turned back into the room.

“Sure man.” Keith smiled and the tension in his shoulders drained away. He turned and crawled into his bed making enough room for Lance to fit as well. 

He hesitated for a second but then told himself he was being ridiculous. Keith just didn't want to be alone, he had almost died for god sake, the least he could do was be there for him tonight. He walked over and crawled under the blanket, snuggling down he turned and faced Keith, finding those dark eyes already trained on him. 

“What?” He asked quietly.

“Nothing just...thank you.” Lance smiled and as the events from today finally caught up with him and exhaustion crashed in, he let his eyelids droop and the sweet darkness of sleep claim him.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keith was hot. It wasn't overly hot but it was unusually warm and he opened his eyes groggily to find the source. He was met with white and blue. He pulled his head back quickly to make sure he was seeing things right and the movement caused the object he was against to move slightly. He paused, his mind trying to figure out what was going on. 

Slowly his brain provided memories of the previous night. Lance had come to his room to yell at him. Lance had hugged him. Told him he was family. Told him that he was loved. He had asked Lance to stay.

He looked up and came face to face with the blue paladin, still asleep thankfully. Keith relaxed and realised the warmth was coming from the fact that Lance had wrapped himself around him like a koala, his arms trapping Keith against his chest and their legs were tangled together. He chuckled to himself, he knew Lance loved physical contact, hugs especially but he didn't think it would extend to his sleep. 

Trying to move but failing miserably when Lance's arms tightened, he sighed and having nothing much better to do he let himself enjoy the warmth. He let his mind wander and found himself studying the other boys face.

He had never been able to just look at Lance and he definitely hadn't ever been this close to him. He had amazing skin, not that he would ever tell him that. His face was all sharp angles yet somehow held a softness to it that Keith couldn't understand. There was no smug look or sly smirk he just looked... peaceful. 

Keith had accepted that he found Lance attractive a long time ago but their personalities always seemed to clash. At least they had in the beginning. 

His interactions with Lance since he had become the leader of Voltron and then part of the Blade of Marmora had been confusing. Lance had stopped reacting the way he thought he would. Stopped being predictable.

When Keith had told the rest of the team about his Galra heritage he had expected hatred, or at least hesitance to interact with him and although there had been a bit of an awkward air at first, Lance had acted like nothing had changed and it had meant more to Keith than Lance probably realised. 

When the Black lion had chosen him when Shiro had disappeared, Lance had been the one to encourage him, to keep him stable. He had been Keith's voice of reason when he felt like he was drowning and doing everything wrong. He had treated Keith like he was a true leader even when Shiro returned, asking advice and following orders without argument while also keeping up their usual banter. It had made Keith feel odd, but knowing Lance had his back and respected his decisions was a comfort he had really needed.

When he had tried to be both leader and a part of the Blade of Marmora, Lance had been the most understanding. Yes he had expressed his disappointment but he had never blamed Keith outright. Never glared at him with as much annoyance and disbelief as the others.

He had never given it much thought but Lance had been there for him more than Shiro recently. He automatically sought him out. When he was having a bad day and when he just needed a friend, it was the blue paladin that he went to. He had been Keith's first thought when he had decided to fly at that barrier yesterday. It had been so instinctual that he hadn't even thought about it until now.

Lance shifted, snapping Keith from his thoughts and he watched as his eyes cracked open, saw Keith and a small smile split across his face. 

“Mornin’.” he mumbled and brought his head down to rub his nose against Keith's before planting a soft kiss on his lips.

Keith froze at the contact, mind going blank. Lance must of felt the change in him and he pulled back, frowning slightly. He looked at Keith for a moment and then recognition dawned on his face, followed closely by horror.

He unlocked his arms from around Keith and expertly untangling their legs, scrambled backwards and out of the bed putting as much distance between them as he could.

“Shit I'm so sorry! Oh my god Keith I...Shit shit shit.” He ran his hands through his hair and looking at the fact that Keith had yet to react he turned on his heel and bolted out of the room.

Keith blinked as his mind tried to put itself back together. He unconsciously pulled the blankets tighter around him at the loss of Lance's warmth and touched his fingers to his lips. 

Lance had kissed him. 

His mind finally put the pieces together and he had a little freak out of his own. Lance had kissed him. He hadn't reacted. Lance had kissed him. What the hell did that mean? Did Lance have feelings for him? Had Lance still been dreaming and thought he was someone else? Lance had just run away without giving him a chance to say something. 

What would he of said?

The question stopped his train wreck of a thought process. He had no idea how to react. He liked Lance, respected him, thought of him as probably his best friend besides Shiro but more than that? He had never thought about it. Never needed to think about it. All he knew right now was that he needed to talk to him. He needed to sort whatever the hell had just happened out and he needed to do it now. 

Jumping out of bed and slipping his boots on he made his way to Lance's room. Knocking he received no reply. He tried again and got the same result. He huffed in frustration and then turned to go back the way he had come. 

Maybe he could catch him in the kitchen.

The kitchen was Lance free but he did find Hunk and Pidge. 

The yellow paladin was cooking what looked to be a very colourful concoction and Pidge was sitting on the counter, talking about something that Keith didn't think he could follow even if he tried.

“Hey guys have you seen Lance?” They looked at him and Pidge shook her head.

“Nah man, sorry. Maybe try the training room?” said Hunk.

He thanked them and made his way to the training deck. He heard the distinct sound of someone fighting and quickened his pace. Turning the corner he saw Shiro taking down a combat robot. Groaning in annoyance he entered the room.

“Shiro have you seen Lance?” Shiro looked over at him in surprise.

“Hey Keith. No I haven't.” Keith nodded and went to leave.

“Keith wait. About yesterday..”

“Don't worry about it.” Keith said quickly wanting to avoid any lectures Shiro had in mind and also to find Lance.

“No Keith, Lance was worried about you. He wasn't angr-" 

“Shiro it's fine honestly, we sorted it out.” Shiro's eyebrows shot up in surprise but he didn't continue, just nodded.

Keith turned on his heel and continued his search. He tried the bridge, the engine room, the bathrooms and even Red and Blues hangers. Allura and Coran hadn't seen him and it seemed wherever Keith went Lance went the opposite way. 

Allura had called them all together for a quick scouting mission but Lance hadn't even looked at him and when he tried to reach out to him before he left the bridge, he pulled away like he hadn't seen him. Keith was getting frustrated and he had stayed in Reds hangar, waiting for him to come back but when he did he had Matt with him. Keith had clicked his tongue in annoyance. He didn't exactly want an audience for this conversation, so he left without a word.

After that, Lance had made himself scarce again and Keith had only caught a glimpse of him once, only for Lance to quickly disappear again. Even after Keith had called out to him.

Hours passed and Keith had sworn he had done at least 10 laps of the castle but he couldn't find him. He always just seemed to miss him, and he was growing mad. 

Finally he decided to try Lance's room one last time and if he wasn't there he would sit by the door until he returned. He had thought about this morning all day and he would be lying if he said he didn't want to try it again, to explore whatever the hell these new feelings were but he needed to know the truth first.

Making his way to the blue paladins room he raised his hand to knock when it opened. Standing there on the other side about to walk out was none other than Lance himself. He looked at Keith like a deer caught in the headlights.

“Why are you avoiding me?” Keith asked harshly, not giving him time to speak. He couldn't help it, all the hours he had spent chasing this boy had ticked him off. Lance blinked and then looked away.

“I'm not.” Keith felt rage burn through his gut. 

“Bullshit. You’ve been avoiding me all day and we need to talk.” Lance looked up at him then and opened his mouth to argue but seemed to think better of it. He sighed before stepping aside.

“Fine, lets get this over with then.” He sounded so defeated that it took Keith off guard.

He stepped inside and the door closed behind him. Silence surrounded them and Keith tried to get his thoughts together.

“I'm sorry about this morning please just forget it happened.” Lance blurted.

Keith looked at Lance. He was fidgeting and he wouldn't look at him. Wouldn't even glance at him to gauge his reaction. Keith stepped closer and Lance froze. 

“Why have you been avoiding me?” He asked again, softer this time. Lance looked at him in exasperation.

“Are you serious? Because I knew it would be weird. Because after this morning I wouldn't be surprised if you hated me. You asked me to stay and I completely ruined your trust, not even just a little bit! Completely catapulted over the line!” He took a breath and covered his eyes with one hand, the other wrapping around himself as if he could hide if he made himself small enough.

“Because I couldn't stand to see the way you would look at me if you did.” Keith blinked in surprise and then sighed before moving closer.

“I don't hate you. You took me by surprise but I don't hate you.” Lance peeked out from between his fingers, watching Keith carefully like he was trying to detect the lie. Seeming satisfied he wasn't, he dropped his hand. 

“Really?” He asked hesitantly. “Not even a little? If you do I get it, hell I would completely understand if you were angry or didn't want to talk to me agai-" 

Keith grabbed the collar of the other boys jacket and pulled Lance in, sealing their lips together and effectively cutting him off. It was quick, nothing but a press of his lips but when he pulled back Lance was staring at him wide eyed. 

“Tell me if I'm crossing a line.” Keith said quietly. He waited for Lance to get his thoughts together, his fingers still gripping the others jacket tightly. 

Lance continued to stare and after a minute Keith started to feel uncomfortable and self conscious. What if Lance didn't want this and he was trying to find a way to let Keith down gently. 

The thought made him let the other boy go and he stepped back. The movement seemed to jolt Lance out of his shock and his eyes narrowed and zeroed in on Keith's.

“Are you making fun of me right now?” It was Keith's turn to stare. What the hell? How did Lance even get to that conclusion? He frowned and opened his mouth to speak but Lance beat him to it.

“Because if you are then you can just leave, there's no need for yo-" 

“Are you serious?” Keith interrupted. 

“Why else would you kiss me!?” Lance shouted and Keith flinched at the sudden outburst. The pain that flashed across Lance's face took him by surprise and confused him at the same time. He couldn't understand what was going through that head of his but he didn't like it one bit. He frowned and without thinking blurted out the truth.

“Maybe because I wanted to? Isn't that why people kiss other people?” He stepped forward again but Lance stepped back. Keith paused a sharp pang of fear and doubt curled in his stomach and he could feel panic start to claw at his chest. 

What if he HAD crossed a line. What if Lance really didn't want to touch him and he was repulsed by the idea? Repulsed by him.

“No because if you wanted to then that means that you…” Lance trailed off, eyes dropping to the floor. Keith didn't dare to move, he was pretty sure he had fucked this up and he didn't want to make the situation worse. He would just wait for Lance to tell him to leave and he would, then they could avoid each other as much as they wanted. 

His chest tightened at that thought but he wouldn't let any emotion show.

Lance looked up at him and Keith held his breath. He took a step forward and then another, bringing them almost as close as they had been when Keith had kissed him.

Lance's eyes flicked between Keith's, an intensity he had never seen before darkening them. He felt the air change, a strange sort of tension that felt like it was going to snap if Keith so much as blinked. 

A hand brushed against his and he flinched, the hand retreated but Keith quickly reached out and caught it in his own. He heard Lance's breath hitch and then before he could react, warm lips were on his and a hand was tangling itself in his hair. 

He twined their fingers together and rested his other hand on Lance's hip, pulling him in close. A small hum left Lance and Keith tilted his head deepening the kiss. He felt Lance's tongue swipe across his lips, asking for entrance and Keith happily complied. A small moan left him at the sensation and Lance's grip tightened in his hair. Keith quickly took control of the kiss, letting go of Lance's hand he cupped the other boys face and tilted it to where he wanted it, his tongue plunging into the others mouth dancing with Lance's. 

He needed to breathe but didn't want to stop. Didn't want to relinquish the feeling of having Lance like putty in his hands, of the warmth he provided and the feelings that were racing through his veins. Didn't want to stop feeling the smooth and soft skin under his fingers or the heat of Lance's tongue against his own. Didn't want to lose the sense that this was exactly where he belonged.

Lance pulled back first but only far enough to rest their foreheads together. Keith revelled in the fact that Lance was panting just as much as he was.

“Damn Mullet I didn't know you could kiss like that.” Lance chuckled.

Keith lightly hit his head against Lance's.

“Shut up.” Lance smiled and then captured Keith's lips again, this time it was soft and sweet. 

“What does this mean?” Lance asked as he pulled away, slightly nervous.

“What do you think it means?” Keith asked. 

“That you think I'm the best looking person you've ever seen.” He said with a smirk. Keith laughed at that.

“True. But you're also the bravest and kindest person I've ever met. You always know how to make me feel better and last night you...you made me feel so safe and loved.” Lance pulled back and looked at him, eyebrows raised and all traces of his cocky attitude gone.

“Keith…” Keith shook his head.

“Look I don't know what this is but I know that I don't want it to stop so can we just...I don't know see where it goes?” Lance smiled at him and brushed their noses together.

“As long as it means I can kiss you whenever I want.” Keith laughed and then kissed Lance.  
He wasn't sure what was going to happen but he knew that right now in this moment he didn't want to lose this feeling of warmth and safety. He had Lance and that was enough for him.


End file.
